Ralph Upchurch

Ralph Upchurch

Brookline, MA

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  • Ralph Upchurch
    Ralph Upchurch
    Participant
    Posts: 14
    Palouse Falls – Behind The Shot
    on: August 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm

    One thing that caught my eye in this segment is the ULANZI ST-14 tripod mount.  I have been looking for the best Arca-Swiss compatible mount for iPhone for long exposures and panos.  I would have bought the solution from Really Right Stuff, but it has been back ordered for at least a year.  In my research, I found a newer model by the same company, the Ulanzi ST-28.  It utilizes MagSafe rather than clamps and screws.  Just got it today, and it looks like it will fit the bill.  It requires a ball head on the tripod, where the ST-14 has a ball head on the mount.  But the ST-28 is simple, elegant and light (not to mention $200 cheaper that RRS).

    https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0136/3119/3188/products/5_6f9c725e-86c5-4a87-81eb-81285c3b2af6_800x.jpg?v=1637206763

    Ralph

    Ralph Upchurch
    Ralph Upchurch
    Participant
    Posts: 14
    Re: Tin Type WorkFlow
    Reply #1 on: May 3, 2022 at 9:24 am

    I too have always been confused by the three options offered when opening a Lightroom file in Photoshop.  So this is a real eye-opener, and improves my workflow greatly.  Thanks Jeff!

    Ralph Upchurch
    Ralph Upchurch
    Participant
    Posts: 14
    Re: Grain Layer
    Reply #2 on: April 29, 2022 at 11:30 am

    When I magnify the grain layer to pixel level, I see variations in tone, but these disappear at normal viewing resolution.  So I will try increasing the noise level to amplify the effect.

    By conflating concepts, I take it to mean that the overlay grain layer cannot be painted for effect like the sculpting layer.

    Ralph Upchurch
    Ralph Upchurch
    Participant
    Posts: 14
    Re: New Article Announcements & Discussions
    Reply #3 on: April 29, 2022 at 11:20 am

    I very much enjoyed Dave Chew’s most recent article from a number of perspectives.  As a fellow Northeast Ohio native, I enjoyed seeing his wonderful images from some of my old stomping grounds (Ladue Reservoir, the CWRU campus).  There was also a wealth of practical shooting tips: some new to me, some which I used to do but fell out of the habit, and some learned the hard way (“a piece of equipment lying on the … is a piece of equipment that wants to get lost.”)

    I haven’t shot with my field 4×5 in a long time, the closest thing I have to a technical camera.  But as Dave noted, many points made in the article are useful to a mirrorless shooter.  The images are outstanding.  Well done!

    Ralph Upchurch
    Ralph Upchurch
    Participant
    Posts: 14
    Re: New Article Announcements & Discussions
    Reply #4 on: April 22, 2022 at 7:52 am

    I enjoyed very much Jeff Schewe’s TinType article, and have gone over it a couple of times to try to digest all the tips.  One that continues to elude me is the creation of a grain layer.  It is my understanding that PhotoKit is no longer supported in Ps for Mac, so I tried to reproduce the steps as described strictly in Ps, without success.

    Here’s what I tried:

    • created new layer in overlay blend mode, with 50% gray fill
    • added filter>noise>add noise>uniform at 10%
    • added filter>blur>gaussian blur at 3 px
    • repeated these 2 steps a couple of times
    • painted in the layer, using either a black or white brush

    What I got was just darkening or lightening of the image similar to what a 50% overlay layer would do as a burn/dodge tool, but harsher.

    I would be grateful if Jeff or another community member could clarify the needed steps to achieve the desired effect.